SOFIA upGREAT/FIFI-LS Emission-line Observations of Betelgeuse during the Great Dimming of 2019/2020

We report NASA-DLR SOFIA upGREAT circumstellar [O i] 63.2 μm and [C ii] 157.7 μm emission profiles and FIFI-LS [O i] 63.2 μm, [O i] 145.5 μm, and [C ii] 157.7 μm fluxes obtained shortly after Betelgeuse’s 2019/2020 Great Dimming event. Haas et al. noted a potential correlation between the [O i] 63.2 μm flux and V magnitude based on three Kuiper Airborne Observatory observations made with the CGS and FIFI instruments. The FIFI observation was obtained when V ≃ 0.88 and revealed a 3σ non-detection at a quarter of the previous CGS flux measurement made when V ≃ 0.35. A potential explanation could be a change in dust-gas drag heating by circumstellar silicates caused by variations in the photospheric radiation field. SOFIA observations provide a unique test of this correlation because the V-band brightness went to its lowest value on record, V ≃ 1.61, with the SOFIA observations being made when V FIFI−LS ≃ 1.51 and V upGREAT ≃ 1.36. The upGREAT spectra show a [O i] 63.2 μm flux larger than previous space observatory measurements obtained when V ≃ 0.58. The profile is consistent with formation in the slower, more turbulent inner S1 outflow, while the [C ii] 157.7 μm profile is consistent with formation farther out in the faster S2 outflow. Modeling of dust-gas drag heating, combined with 25 yr of Wing three-filter and V photometry, reveals that it is unlikely that the S1 circumstellar envelope and [O i] 63.2 μm fluxes are dominated by the dust-gas drag heating and that another heating source is also active. The [O i] 63.2 μm profile is hard to reconcile with existing outflow velocity models.

A Spectroscopic Study of Supernova Remnants with the Infrared Space Observatory*

We present far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy of supernova remnants (SNRs) based on the archival data of the Infrared Space Observatory taken with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS). Our sample includes previously unpublished profiles of line and continuum spectra for 20 SNRs in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds. In several SNRs including G21.5–0.9, G29.7–0.3, the Crab Nebula, and G320.4–1.2, we find evidence for broad [O i], [O iii], [N ii], and [C ii] lines with velocity dispersions up to a few 103 km s−1, indicating that they are associated with high-velocity SN ejecta. Our detection of Doppler-broadened atomic emission lines and a bright FIR continuum hints at the presence of newly formed dust in SN ejecta. For G320.4–1.2, we present the first estimate of an ejecta-dust mass of 0.1–0.2 M ⊙, which spatially coincides with the broad-line emission, by applying a blackbody model fit with components of the SNR and background emission. Our sample includes raster maps of 63 μm, 145 μm [O i], and 158 μm [C ii] lines toward SNRs Kes 79, CTB 109, and IC 443. Based on these line intensities, we suggest interacting shock types in these SNRs. Finally, we compare our LWS spectra of our sample SNRs with the spectra of several H ii regions, and discuss their FIR line intensity ratios and continuum properties. Follow-up observations with modern instruments (e.g., JWST and SOFIA) with higher spatial and spectral resolution are encouraged for an extensive study of the SN ejecta and the SN dust.

Lomonosov GRB Catalogue: The First Experience of Prompt Emission Multi-Wavelength Observations

This paper presents a catalogue of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that were detected by the instruments onboard the Lomonosov space observatory. The Lomonosov mission gave the first experience of not only multi-wavelength (from optical to gamma) observations of GRBs but also multi-messenger observations of extreme phenomena and GRBs. The detailed light curves and energy spectra of the detected GRBs are presented. The results of the prompt, early an afterglow optical observations of several GRBs are discussed.

Short-baseline interferometry local-tie experiments at the Onsala Space Observatory

We present results from observation, correlation and analysis of interferometric measurements between the three geodetic very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) stations at the Onsala Space Observatory. In total, 25 sessions were observed in 2019 and 2020, most of them 24 h long, all using X band only. These involved the legacy VLBI station ONSALA60 and the Onsala twin telescopes, ONSA13NE and ONSA13SW, two broadband stations for the next-generation geodetic VLBI global observing system (VGOS). We used two analysis packages: $$\nu $$ ν Solve to pre-process the data and solve ambiguities, and ASCOT to solve for station positions, including modelling gravitational deformation of the radio telescopes and other significant effects. We obtained weighted root mean square post-fit residuals for each session on the order of 10–15 ps using group-delays and 2–5 ps using phase-delays. The best performance was achieved on the (rather short) baseline between the VGOS stations. As the main result of this work, we determined the coordinates of the Onsala twin telescopes in VTRF2020b with sub-millimetre precision. This new set of coordinates should be used from now on for scheduling, correlation, as a priori for data analyses, and for comparison with classical local-tie techniques. Finally, we find that positions estimated from phase-delays are offset $$\sim +3$$ ∼ + 3 mm in the up-component with respect to group-delays. Additional modelling of (elevation dependent) effects may contribute to the future understanding of this offset.

The Carbon-to-H2, CO-to-H2 conversion factors, and carbon abundance on kiloparsec scales in nearby galaxies

ABSTRACT Using the atomic carbon [C i] ($^{3} \rm P_{1} \rightarrow {\rm ^3 P}_{0}$) and [C i] ($^{3} \rm P_{2} \rightarrow {\rm ^3 P}_{1}$) emission {hereafter [C i] (1 − 0) and [C i] (2 − 1), respectively} maps observed with the Herschel Space Observatory, and CO (1 − 0), H i, infrared and submm maps from literatures, we estimate the [C i]-to-H2 and CO-to-H2 conversion factors of α[C i](1 − 0), α[C i](2 − 1), and αCO at a linear resolution $\sim 1\,$kpc scale for six nearby galaxies of M 51, M 83, NGC 3627, NGC 4736, NGC 5055, and NGC 6946. This is perhaps the first effort, to our knowledge, in calibrating both [C i]-to-H2 conversion factors across the spiral disks at spatially resolved $\sim 1\,$kpc scale though such studies have been discussed globally in galaxies near and far. In order to derive the conversion factors and achieve these calibrations, we adopt three different dust-to-gas ratio (DGR) assumptions that scale approximately with metallicity taken from precursory results. We find that for all DGR assumptions, the α[C i](1 − 0), α[C i](2 − 1), and αCO are mostly flat with galactocentric radii, whereas both α[C i](2 − 1) and αCO show decrease in the inner regions of galaxies. And the central αCO and α[C i](2 − 1) values are on average ∼2.2 and 1.8 times lower than its galaxy averages. The obtained carbon abundances from different DGR assumptions show flat profiles with galactocentric radii, and the average carbon abundance of the galaxies is comparable to the usually adopted value of 3 × 10−5. We find that both metallicity and infrared luminosity correlate moderately with the αCO, whereas only weakly with either the α[C i](1 − 0) or carbon abundance, and not at all with the α[C i](2 − 1).

Observing UT1-UTC with VGOS

We present first results for the determination of UT1-UTC using the VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS). During December 2019 through February 2020, a series of 1 h long observing sessions were performed using the VGOS stations at Ishioka in Japan and the Onsala twin telescopes in Sweden. These VGOS-B sessions were observed simultaneously to standard legacy S/X-band Intensive sessions. The VGOS-B data were correlated, post-correlation processed, and analysed at the Onsala Space Observatory. The derived UT1-UTC results were compared to corresponding results from standard legacy S/X-band Intensive sessions (INT1/INT2), as well as to the final values of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Frame Service (IERS), provided in IERS Bulletin B. The VGOS-B series achieves 3–4 times lower formal uncertainties for the UT1-UTC results than standard legacy S/X-band INT series. The RMS agreement w.r.t. to IERS Bulletin B is slightly better for the VGOS-B results than for the simultaneously observed legacy S/X-band INT1 results, and the VGOS-B results have a small bias only with the smallest remaining standard deviation.

Short-baseline interferometry at Onsala Space Observatory

<p>A growing number of geodetic VLBI stations participate in the VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS). Multiple sites operate both new VGOS telescopes and legacy S/X VLBI telescopes. At Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden, we operate two 13.2 m diameter VGOS radio telescopes, ONSA13NE (OE) and ONSA13SW (OW), as well as the 20~m legacy S/X telescope ONSALA60 (ON). Transitioning from the legacy system and providing continuity of the terrestrial and celestial reference frames necessitate establishing ties between S/X and VGOS telescopes. Since spring 2019, we have carried out more than 20 short-baseline (550 m) interferometric observations at X-band to establish local-tie vectors between ON, OE and OW. The obtained data were correlated at Onsala Space Observatory using DiFX, post-processed using HOPS and analysed with nuSolve and ASCOT. In this presentation we given an overview of the observations, analysis, and results of these local-tie experiments. We investigate the impact of modeling e.g. gravitational deformation, and the possibility of using phase-delays to improve the precision. Finally, we present a comparison with preliminary results from two other methods: global mixed-mode observations and classical local-tie measurements.</p>

VGOS Intensives Ishioka-Onsala

<p>The VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) is the VLBI contribution to GGOS. During the last years, several VGOS stations have been established, the VGOS observation program has started, and by 2021 VGOS has achieved an operational state involving nine international VGOS stations. Further VGOS stations are currently being installed, so that the number of active VGOS stations will increase drastically in the near future. In the end of 2019 the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS) decided to start a new and so-far experimental VGOS-Intensive series, called VGOS-B, involving Ishioka (Japan) and Onsala (Sweden). Both sites operate modern VGOS stations with 13.2~m diameter radio telescopes, i.e. ISHIOKA (IS) in Japan, and ONSA13NE (OE) and ONSA13SW (OW) in Sweden. In total 12 VGOS-B sessions were observed between December 2019 and February 2020, one every week, in parallel and simultaneously to legacy S/X INT1 Intensive sessions that involve the stations KOKEE (KK) on Hawaii and WETTZELL (WZ) in Germany. These 1-hour long VGOS-B sessions consist of more than fifty radio source observations, resulting in about 1.6 TB of raw data that are collected at each station. The scheduling of the VGOS-B sessions was done using <em>VieSched++</em> and the subsequent steps (correlation, fringe-fitting, database creation) were carried out at the Onsala Space Observatory using <em>DIFX</em> and <em>HOPS</em>. The resulting VGOS databases were  analysed with several VLBI analysis software packages, involving <em>nuSolve</em>, <em>c5++</em> and <em>ASCOT</em>. In this presentation, we give an overview on the VGOS-B series, present our experiences, and discuss the obtained results. The derived UT1-UTC results were compared to corresponding results from standard legacy S/X Intensive sessions (INT1/INT2), as well to the final values of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Frame Service (IERS), provided in IERS Bulletin~B. <br>The VGOS-B series achieve 3-4 times lower formal uncertainties for the UT1-UTC results than standard legacy S/X INT series.  Furthermore, the root mean square (RMS) agreement with respect to the IERS Bulletin B is 30-40 % better for the VGOS-B results than for the INT1/INT2 results.</p>